Dawn Keezer, director the Pittsburgh Film Office, is hoping for $22.5 million in film tax credits to come available and she’s not even talking about the annual legislative goal of uncapping Pennsylvania’s tax credit program.

At least, not yet, she isn’t.

Instead, Keezer said she was optimistic about the prospects of House Bill 2083, which passed the state house last week. Sponsored by Jerry Stern, a Republican representative whose District 80 represents part of Blair County, the bill proposes recapturing $22.5 million in film tax credits that were allocated and never used from movies that weren’t made in years past.

Keezer is rooting for the state senate to pass it next and for it be fully passed by June.

“Our Southwestern Pennsylvania delegation voted almost unanimously to support it,” said Keezer.

The legislation passed the house on May 6 would allow the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development that oversees the state film tax credit program to recirculate the unused credits.

It’s a new wrinkle in Keezer’s spring that typically comes with helping would-be film productions set up and shoot in the region while championing raising or uncapping the annual value of the state’s film tax credit program, currently expected to be $60 million.

She said there’s currently no tax credit money available, even as productions continue to scout in the region.

That includes the new Vin Diesel project, "The Last Witch Hunter,” for which there’s already been allocated a film tax credit of more than $14 million. Keezer said that crew for the project were scouting in the Pittsburgh area just last week for a shoot expected to begin soon.

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